


The Sweet Thought of You and Me

by TheBeautifulLove



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-24
Updated: 2013-12-01
Packaged: 2018-01-02 13:19:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1057239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBeautifulLove/pseuds/TheBeautifulLove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There is still a hope to save Henry. They know that they need to take the risk. *set right after 'Think Lovely Thoughts' episode*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My idea of what happens after the latest episode, but of course I'm waiting impatiently for what the writers have for us :)
> 
> The idea came from an awesome youtube video for the Captain Pan pairing that I saw and I couldn't resist it. 
> 
> In this there is no Charming, Rumpelstiltskin or Snow White cos it would be too confusing. They had to stay in Storybrook. Also Peter Pan is not Rumple's father, just a 17 year old boy who run away to Neverland long ago because he wanted power and independence. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy! xxx

They all watch as Peter Pan stands in the middle of the cave. All powerful and proud with Henry's heart and looks at them with triumphant smile. Henry's body lies on the ground dead and lifeless. Emma and Regina are on their knees on each side of the body and there are tears rolling down their cheeks. Hook, Neal and Tinker Bell stand a few feet away looking at Pan with fear. 

All of them are watching for some magic lights or colors but nothing is happening. However Peter Pan is not dying, which means that it must have worked. There is no way that it didn't. At this moment Pan reaches his hand out in their direction and says in a vicious voice:

'And now if you let me, you don't belong here and you all shall die. Neverland is not a place for grown ups.'

He moves his hand in a gesture that Emma knows well from Regina's evil actions and she closes her eyes waiting for the curse to come. She thinks - this is it, Pan won. But after a few seconds she hears gasps and murmurs while the curse is not coming and she opens her eyes again. 

Everyone is now staring at the boy with surprised looks as he tries to cast the spell repeatedly with no success. There is bewilderment in his eyes and deep confusion on his face. He looks down at his hands not understanding. A moment later he realizes that it won't work and with one more look of hatred, he runs away not saying anything else. 

'What the hell?' Emma voices all their thoughts. 

'It seems he cannot use his magic for some reason.' Regina says looking down in concentration. 

'How is this possible?' Hook asks with his hands on his hips. 

'I think it's too strong for him to control right away but he will learn how to do it soon enough.' Tinker Bell explains going back in her mind to the knowledge she had as a fairy. 

There is silence and Neal comes closer to his son and looks at his peaceful face, his heart hurting at the sight. He lost him so quickly and didn't even get a chance to be a proper father for him. 

'We have to find a way to kill this devil that took my son away from me. We have to take advantage of his powerlessness to revenge the death of our boy - Henry.' 

There are agreeing voices coming from all the others while Tinker Bell steps closer and puts her hand on Neal's shoulder. She says:

'Death? No, Henry is not dead. At least, not yet.' 

Everyone looks at the blonde with shock on their faces. Emma gets up from her knees in an instant and stands face to face with the fairy. Her eyes are wet from tears and there is a glimpse of hope in them.

'What? My son is alive?'

'Well, he is dying but he's not yet dead. He is without a heart but he can still be saved if we get his heart back from Pan to him in time. That's the only way.'

Emma and Neal look at Henry's small frame lying on the cold ground of the cave. Regina puts her hand on his chest to feel no heartbeat under her fingers but his body is warm. She says:

'Tinker Bell is right. We can still save him but it won't be easy with Peter Pan getting more and more control every passing hour. There is little time but we can use his struggle to our advantage and save Henry.' 

'How long do we have?' Neal asks while he places a supportive hand on Emma's back.

'Four days at most.' Tinker Bell answers with a sad voice. 

There is the silence again while everyone thinks it through and calculates whether it could work out. In their hearts they all know that they have to try otherwise Henry will be lost forever. They can't lose him after all they went through on this island. They all know that they have to fight until the end. 

'Regina, do you think you have enough strength to stop him while he's weak and get the heart back?' Emma asks but before the brunette can answer, Tinker Bell says:

'That's too risky. In a day or two Pan will be so powerful that Regina's magic will not be enough. We have to do it differently.' 

'How?' Emma asks. 

'I don't know. We need a plan that he won't expect. A more clever one than this. But right now we can't stay here. Let's find a place to set a camp and then come up with a plan.' 

'Tinker Bell is right, he could easily find us here. We need to find a safer place to stay.' Regina reasons and the rest agrees with her. 

They all start to leave the cave. Neal takes his son in his arms and carries him to one of the boats while others follow. Once they all get in, Hook and Neal make sure that the boat sails in the right direction to the shore. Nobody speaks until they get out on the other side. It seems that the worst part is still ahead of them and time is slipping away. And the most important question is: how to save Henry?

***

About an hour later they find a nice place in the woods to set a camp. Regina gets the fire going and Hook gets some water to boil for a simple soup. Henry is placed in a tent and covered with blanket as if asleep. The rest of them sit around the fire waiting for the food and their expressions are gloomy. There hasn't been a single good idea so far and they are growing hopeless. Then Regina says:

'I think I know what we can do.'

Emma looks up at her with confusion and curiosity. Regina continues:

'We need to play with Pan's emotions to let us get close to him and then take the heart back.' 

Neal looks at her as if she had gone crazy. The rest are not very enthusiastic about the idea either. Most of them know Peter Pan well enough to know how cold hearted and emotionless he is. 

'And how do you suppose we do that?' Emma asks.

'We need to find out if there is something or someone that can be used to manipulate him.' Regina explains but she still sees the doubt in them. 

'That would be a good idea except that Pan has no weaknesses or feelings. He is like rock and always has been.' Neal reasons while everyone nods in agreement. 

'Everyone has a weakness, my dear. Something that we keep at the bottom of our hearts. Something that we know could make us happy but we are too angry and too broken to even consider.' Regina says with a sad voice almost as if remembering something close to her. 

'What do you suggest we do then? How are we to find out?' Hook asks what they are all wondering.

'We ask someone closest to him. That boy Felix must know. We can do the same thing we did with the other Lost Boy. We can force him to help us.' 

Emma looks at her and then briefly thinks to herself looking at the tent where dying Henry is. She then says in a strong voice:

'We haven't got much time. Let's begin.' 

***

Two hours later, there is Felix at their feet, tied up with rope. Regina stands in the middle, in front of him and the others are on both her sides, watching. There is a red, glowing heart in her hand.

'Tell us boy, what is Pan's biggest weakness or I will not hesitate to crash this pretty heart of yours into ash.' the queens threatens with powerful voice. 

There is visible fear in Felix's eyes but he keeps his face straight and expressionless. He says:

'Peter Pan has no weaknesses. You can't win with him. When he gets his power back he will kill all of you.'

Regina then squeezes his heart and the boy cries out in pain and then he bites his lower lip to keep himself from screaming. 

'Tell me quickly and I'll stop. I know that you know the answer to my question. There is something or someone he is sentimental, affectionate about...isn't there?' 

After a brief pause the boy speaks out slowly, visibly losing his strength:

'There is someone Peter loves with all his heart but you will never know who it is.'

'Now we're talking. Who is it?'

'I told you that you will never know.' 

Regina squeezes the heart again and Felix screams even louder and tears are glistening in his blue eyes. He breathes deeply. 

'Please Felix, we don't want to hurt you. Just please, tell us.' Emma speaks softly to him. She knows he is just a boy and she doesn't enjoy seeing him get hurt. No child should be hurt like this but they need to know who it is. It's their only chance. 

'I'll tell you. Just stop doing this.' Felix says quietly, exhausted. He raises his hand in the direction of Hook and Emma who stand next to each other. It's unclear who he is actually pointing at.

'It's the pirate. It's Hook.' 

Everyone suddenly freezes. Hook looks at the blonde boy with a face that shows no emotions, saying nothing and then drops his eyes to look at the ground. Emma then looks at Hook knowing that Felix told the truth but she still finds it shocking, just like everyone else. All their faces are blank. Nobody even notices as Felix passes out from the pain and Regina nearly drops the glowing heart to the ground. Everything is deadly silent, the whole group is paralyzed with shock and more so confusion.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything is in Hook's hands. All hope in that he succeeds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 is up already. This fic is so fun to write, it feels like it writes itself.
> 
> Enjoy! xx

'Okay. That was unexpected.' Neal tries to break the awkward silence in the group, which has already returned back to the camp.

Regina casted a spell so that Felix won't remember anything and they let him go. However since they learned the truth it has been very uncomfortable and silent between them all. Hook didn't even say a word yet. He just sat slightly away from all of them with his back against a tree looking at the ground. 

'Well, it is a bit unusual but love is love and you can't really choose who you fall for.' Emma tries to help Hook to come to the terms with the news. But he seems to be ignoring the blonde's voice. 

'You should be happy Captain, your good looks finally seem to appeal to someone. Still don't understand how though.' Regina says with her usual character. 

'Stop it Regina. It's not easy on him.' Tinker Bell looks at her with pleading eyes. 

'Stop. All of you. It clearly must have been a lie. It couldn't be the truth, he tricked us.' Hook says, getting up from his spot and standing, facing them with a strong expression. 

'Except that it is the truth, Hook. I used magic to check because I didn't believe it myself.' Regina confirms. Hook looks away from her eyes. 

'So now that we know Pan's... um... weakness, what do we do? How do we use it to save Henry?' Emma asks worried about her son, whose time is running out. 

'Our Captain needs to get close to him and convince him that he feels the same. Once Peter trusts him he will be weak and blinded with love so that it should be easier to take the heart back from him.' Regina explains. 

It's not that anyone expected something different but the atmosphere becomes even more uncomfortable. Neal being the only other male in the group looks especially freaked out and tries to keep away because he knows that the pirate is their only chance and he doesn't want to say anything that he will regret. Tinker Bell is also keeping away but she is the only person that seems least shocked and uncomfortable from all of them. She is calm and composed. 

Hook is trying to act it cool but deep inside all he can think about is all the times he talked to Pan and how blind he was to never notice how close the boy kept to him, how often he whispered in his ear, how often he touched him and how he looked so deeply in Hook's eyes... 

'Listen, I want to help you. I want to save Henry but I will not succeed. Pan is clever and the plan won't work. Why should he believe that suddenly I return his feelings? Why should he even care with all this new power he will now have?' Hook asks.

'Because he thinks that Henry is dead and you will tell him that you want to join him and be powerful.' Regina tells him carefully making sure he understands clearly. 

'And most importantly he loves you. You need to show him that you love him too and he will realize that he has everything now. He will trust you.' Tinker Bell suddenly speaks. 

Emma comes closer to the pirate and looks him in the eyes. Her eyes are still very blue and full of hope yet worried for her only son. She speaks softly:

'Hook, time is slipping away. Please help us. You are the only one that can.' 

Hook looks at Emma and feels bad for wasting so much time already. He always wanted to be a hero, save lives. Now he has a chance to do that and he needs to take it; do the right thing. He takes a deep breath and takes her hand in his.

'I will do all I can to save your son. I promise.' he says in all honesty. 

Suddenly he hears Neal and Regina say at the same time:

'He's my son too.' 

Tinker Bell and Emma chuckle at this. Hook drops Emma's hand and looks at them shaking his head.

'Some crazy family the kid has.' Hook says with his usual sarcasm back in his voice and prepares to leave the camp in search of Peter Pan. 

Everyone looks at him with slight worry and also gratefulness. He gathers his sword and gets some water with him. After few minutes he is ready to go. They all approach him to say their goodbyes. Emma is the first one. She gives him a quick hug and says:

'Thank you.' 

Hook smiles at her and nods. Then Regina shakes his hand and ensures him that they will see each other soon. Tinker Bell gives him a talisman in a form of a necklace with a little key on the string. Hook puts it around his neck. She says:

'Be careful and good luck.' 

Emma and she has both tears in their eyes. The last person is Neal, who puts his hand on the pirate's shoulder. 

'I know we had our disagreements before but I can't thank you enough for this. You're risking your life to save my son and I will always be grateful for this.' Neal says. 

'Thank you. All of you. I will do all in my power.' Hook says and heads in the direction of where he thinks Pan may be. 

With one last glance at all their faces he walks into the deep forest. He leaves to fulfill his destiny. To be the hero he was always meant to be; the one fairy tales never talk about.

***

The pirate wonders around the forest in search of the lake leading to the cave. He feels cold and alone but his motivation is strong and he doesn't stop walking until he sees the water and the skull cave barely visible because of the mist that surrounds it. He runs his hand through his dark hair, still not believing how he will ever convince Peter to trust him. How to do something so difficult?

Already at the entrance, Hook still doesn't have a plan. He doesn't even know if he will find Pan in there. If not, then where to even look? Assuming he will manage to find him, how to make him believe that Hook returns his feelings and wants to join him, when he really doesn't. Pan is just a boy, Hook can't get himself to pretend that he loves him... He likes women and he knows how to seduce them but teenage boys? Even though Peter is no ordinary boy, it makes it the more hard. 

Hook very slowly comes inside, careful not to make a sound. The cave is the same as before and seems empty at first glance. The pirate still walks in further and then he sees him. He is really there. Peter Pan is siting on a rock with his back to Hook, not realizing that he has a company. 

Suddenly Hook's heart is beating hard and it's strange because since when is he even getting nervous? He tries to push all those thoughts aside and takes a careful look at the boy. From the difficult angle, he can't see his face but it is definitely not the kind of posture that some one powerful has. This can suggest only one thing - Pan still hasn't got the control over his magic. 

Hook has mixed feelings. As happy as he should be about that, he just can't fight the feeling of sadness as he watches the figure in the cave. After all, Peter is just a boy who doesn't have anything right now. His power meant everything to him and now he can't even face the Lost Boys and instead he hides in the dark cave. It is a truly sad sight to see. But Hook needs to remember that he is here for a reason and even though he may feel sorry for Pan now, he needs to remember that he is not as innocent and vulnerable as he looks now. With that in mind, the pirate starts walking towards him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Long conversation and many lies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a lot of positive feedback on this and I'm so happy! Thank you all. xxx
> 
> Enjoy chapter 3! :)

'I knew I would find you here.' Hook says trying to keep his voice steady. He stands only couple steps away from Peter to the boy's right.

As soon as Pan hears Hook's voice he stands up and takes a few steps back from the man. He looks around to see if the others are there too. 

'You came to kill me Hook? You should have brought your friends to watch then.' Peter speaks trying to sound brave but his voice shakes ever slightly. His eyes look tired. 

'No. I didn't come to do that.' Hook replies and looks down. Peter doesn't even hide his confusion and takes a step closer to the pirate.

'Of course you did. I have no power and you all seek revenge. You don't have to lie to me.'

There is a long pause and the only thing heard is the distant sound of the wind. They look into each other's eyes and then Hook suddenly says:

'Then you can see in my eyes that I'm not lying. Henry is dead and they all want to go back to Storybrook to bury him while they can. I, however, have nothing to go back there for.' 

Peter doesn't say anything at first. Then he turns away from the pirate and looks at the wall of the cave. 

'Then what do you want, Captain?' 

'I want to join you. I want to help you get your power back and we could rule Neverland.' Hook says with a strong voice. 

He is surprised how easily those lies come out of his mouth. He thought it would be harder but he finds there is strength in him. Hearing this Peter turns back to face him and looks at him, clearly intrigued. 

'Is that so?' 

'Yes, it is. I'm tired of helping other people. I want to do something for myself. Be someone.' 

'And how exactly will you help me to get my magic back? You know nothing of these things.' Pan asks with a little smirk, it almost looks like the one he usually wears on his face.

Hook finds himself unprepared for this. He knows he needs a believable lie so he thinks quickly to make sure all this work will not be wasted. Pan needs to believe him and trust him. This is the key to success. So, he then says:

'Regina had an idea. She said that you will get your magic back. How soon depends on you.' 

Peter Pan rises his eyebrow, very interested. He searches Hook's face for a sign that he is lying but it seems he finds none as he tells the brunette to continue.

'She said that because Henry's heart was full of good, you will firstly have to learn to use it for doing harmless, good magic. Only then you will be able to force it to do more.' 

It's not really a lie. Regina mentioned something about doing good before you can do bad but Hook wasn't even sure what exactly she talked about. His mind was wondering why the hell would Peter even love him. In fact, it still is. 

'Of course. I should have known.' Peter says almost to himself. Then he looks at Hook for a long moment and says:

'I guess we have a deal then. You help me get my magic back and you get to be my right hand man here in Neverland.' 

Hook finally smiles hearing this. He succeeded the most difficult part. There is a sparkle in Pan's eyes at seeing Hook smile. The older man thinks it's unfair that the boy doesn't know the truth but he knows it's for the best. He needs to do this to save Henry. He can't back away now. He may not love Pan back but he needs to use Pan's feelings and those seem like they are already leading to his failure. It's a difficult game but Hook needs to win it. Unfortunately, there is no other way. 

 

*** 

The next thing Hook knows is that they walk towards some house that they will stay at until Pan learns about his magic and goes back to the other boys. It feels weird to Hook to walk behind Peter Pan and having him believe the lies and actually spending time with him like this. Whenever they met before it was just games, sarcastic remarks and offers of all sorts of deals on both sides. It was all and this is very different. This actually feels like some sort of friendship. They know each other for so long yet this is the first time they are going to spend the next days in one house. This thought makes Hook a bit afraid, knowing about Pan's feelings towards him but so far the boy is hiding them well. Or what if he has already moved on...? All this is so crazy that Hook's head hurts. He sighs deeply.

'You alright there, Captain?' Pan looks back at him briefly. 

'Aye. Just tired.' 

'We're almost there.' Peter says. 

His voice is so young, so soft. It's the first time when the pirate hears it spoken like this. No sarcasm, no intentions of hurting anyone. How is it possible for him to be so evil, Hook wonders. He looks at his pale skin, his arms, his dark blonde hair slightly curly. Pan could surely be happy with someone, at some point. Why did he choose this road? 

There is no more time to think though because they reach the place. It's a small house almost hidden with tree branches and green leaves. The dark of the evening hides it even better. It looks nice and cozy. Peter Pan opens the door and says:

'Well, this is it. Come in.' 

Hook follows Pan inside. At first he doesn't see anything because it's pretty dark but the boy quickly finds a candle and Hook helps him to light it up. Once there is light he sees the blonde's face and his expression is blank. He figures out that he's not happy that he can't use his magic to even light up a candle. Hook puts his hand on the boy's shoulder to provide some support. 

'I will help you with your magic. We'll start tomorrow.'

Peter Pan just nods, not saying anything. Hook puts the candle on the nearest table and looks around. It's really surprisingly home-like and tidy inside. There are simple sits made of wood logs and a long table. There are also three beds there made from fabric and dried leaves. There are blankets neatly folded on them too. Pan gets another candle and lights it up using the first one and puts it on the bigger table for more light. 

'That's a nice place.' Hook comments, honestly impressed. 

'It took me seconds to make this using my magic.' there is visible frustration in his voice.

'It must be hard for you now.' 

'You have no idea.' 

There is silence. Pan lies down on a bed on one side of the room and Hook follows his example and walks towards a bed on the other side, opposite the younger boy. When they are both lying down, Hook finds that the candles are annoying him and he wants to get up and blow them off but then he has a better idea. He says:

'Can you try to switch off the candles with magic?' 

There is a frustrated grunt on the other side of the room.

'You know I can't.' 

'That's the point. I want you to, at least, try. The most important is practice and trying.'

Pan sits up and slowly extends his hand in the direction of the candle. He concentrates for a minute but then nothing happens. He drops his hand and looks down. 

'It's still not working.' the blonde says with disappointment.

'We'll figure it out.' Hook promises. He gets up and blows the candles off. 'Tomorrow.'

He goes back to his bed and concentrates on falling asleep. He briefly thinks about all those back in the camp and he wonders whether they are okay. He hopes that they are. More so he hopes that he doesn't fail them. It has been good so far but one thing he knows for sure is that Pan is both unpredictable and smart. Those are his last thoughts before he drifts away into uneasy sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the moment to be brave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I'm so sorry that it's so late and unfortunately I will be able to only post one chapter today... I'm hoping that you will forgive me though cos it's pretty long. I promise I will have the final one tomorrow. 
> 
> I'm so happy that so many of you like my idea! :) I hope this doesn't disappoint but this chapter was hard to write because Hook had so many complicated feelings but I hope you like it anyway :D
> 
> Love and enjoy! xxx

There is light entering Hook's eyes and he blinks a couple of times before he opens his eyes for good. The room is bright with morning light but everything is silent. He gets up and looks around for Pan but he is not there, so Hook gets instantly worried and he goes outside to look for him. As soon as he steps outside he feels a pleasant breeze on his skin. The air is nice and fresh and he looks to his right, noticing that Peter is there, making a fire using twigs and dried leaves. Or more like trying to. Hook approaches him with intentions of helping him out.

'You're up early.' Hook says, crouching next to the boy and taking the two stones that Pan was using from his hands. Their hands briefly touch and Pan looks down while his cheeks become slightly pink but Hook doesn't notice, busy trying to start the fire. 

Few seconds later there is a little fire that slowly grows bigger with time. Pan gets up and looks at the pretty orange flames, thinking. 

'I've been trying but I still can't use magic. What if the Queen was wrong and what if I lost it forever?' Pan suddenly asks. 

Hook gets up and looks at him, surprised with this question.  
'Maybe you're approaching it the wrong way.' Hook suggests, concentrating. Pan looks at him confused.

'What do you mean? There is only one way to make magic.' 

'And what is that?'

'Well, you concentrate on thinking about something that makes you angry or someone you hate and then it happens if you want it strong enough.' Pan explain carefully, looking ahead at the trees in the distance. Hook has an idea but he is not sure if it will work. He says:

'You're forgetting one thing. This power is stronger than any other, so this way may no longer apply.' 

'What do you suggest then?' 

'Henry's heart is good. I think you could try thinking about something... more positive. Like a happy memory.' Hook suggests and watches Peter's face for his reaction.

The blonde doesn't say anything at first. He bites his lower lip in concentration and Hook's eyes focus on it for a moment. He never saw him doing that before and it makes him feel strange. He is pretty sure that it's innocent but it makes him feel suddenly very warm. Hook tries to push those thoughts away. 

'Maybe you're right.' the boy says.

Pan stands facing the little fire and extends his arm in the same manner as the night before. He concentrates for a moment and then closes his eyes. Hook watches him carefully. The brunette knows it would be better for his mission if Peter fails. It would mean less risk but deep inside he can't help hoping that he succeeds because it really is painful to watch Pan drowning in misery and helplessness the past days. Hook never seen him so vulnerable before and he needs to see the confidence back in him, the sparkle in his eyes. He is not sure why but he wants to see him happy. 

Hook's thoughts are suddenly interrupted, when the little fire in front of them suddenly becomes much bigger in seconds and the red flames shoot upwards towards the sky in a spiral shape. Hook looks at the show with wide eyes. He glances at Pan who has his eyes still closed and whispers: 

'Look at this.' 

Peter Pan opens his eyes slowly, drops his arm and he can't believe what he sees. He really did it. He watches the flames dancing in the air in circular motion and there is the same shock on his face as on Hook's. 

'Wow.' Hook speaks for them both as they stand, unable to move, their eyes never leaving the show. 

Pan looks at the pirate and smiles seeing how much he enjoys watching the magic in the air. Hook feels that he is being watched and looks back at the boy. They don't say anything for a long time and just look at each other and smile. If Hook had doubts about Pan's feelings towards him before, now they are completely gone. He knows the way Pan looks at him is the way someone looks at their lover. It's how Milah looked at him, how Snow White looks at Charming, how Belle looks at Rumpelstiltskin. There is the warmth spreading through his body again and he finds himself unable to look away.

'You did it.' Hook finally whispers. 

'We did it.' Pan corrects him with a soft voice. 

It seems like a perfect moment but Hook knows that it would be too risky and too soon to do anything now. He needs more of Peter's trust. He can't fail right now. So, he clears his throat and says:

'You should practice more. I will go and fetch some water from the stream.' 

Pan nods in agreement, realizing in what situation they found themselves and trying to act normal. When Hook walks away towards the stream, in his mind he sees Peter's green eyes and he smiles to himself. He doesn't even question why that is. Despite everything it's a nice feeling to have someone love you and for now he doesn't even want to imagine what he'll soon have to do. Somewhere, at the bottom of his heart, he still has this ridiculous hope that he won't have to kill Pan but in his mind he knows it's the only way to save Henry. 

***

It's already an afternoon when Hook gets back. He didn't realize how far the stream was from the house but also he sat on a rock near the stream for a long time and tried to organize everything in his head. Mostly, he tried to figure out if there is another way to save Henry without hurting Pan but he couldn't think of anything. If he doesn't take the heart from him, Henry will die. If he takes the heart, Peter Pan will die. It was a hopeless situation. 

Hook walks inside the house. Peter is there, sitting on his bed and eating an apple. He looks up at Hook and smiles slightly. 

'What took you so long?' 

'I got lost.' Hook lies. He takes a sit on one of the logs near Pan. 'How is the magic coming along?'

'It's great. I can do much more. I feel like I have control over it.'

'I'm glad.' Hook smiles. 

He looks at the apple in Pan's hand, realizing that he didn't eat anything since yesterday. Pan notices that and gets up quickly to stand next to Hook facing the table in front of them. He moves his hand in a relaxed gesture and instantly with a purple glow, all sorts of food appears. There are all kinds of fruits, breads and surprisingly a bottle of rum. How does this boy know him so well?

'Thanks.' Hook says reaching for the rum and some dark grapes, popping one in his mouth. 

'I should be the one thanking you. I wouldn't have done it without you, Hook.' Peter confesses looking down at the pirate's eyes.

'Please call me Killian.' 

Pan smiles at him. Everything is silent and the pirate feels his heart beating faster. 

'As you wish, Killian.' Pan whispers getting closer. 

They are once again looking at each other. It's a similar situation as before by the fire and this time Hook knows what he needs to do. This is it - it's either now or never, he thinks. He gets up slowly, not breaking the eye contact, suddenly feeling something he didn't expect - he wants it. 

They are so close to one another now, it is so sensual yet at the same time sweet in a way that none of them experienced before. Hook looks at Pan's lips wandering what they feel like. Just then the younger boy licks them and seeing this, is too much for the brunette who leans down and captures them in a passionate kiss. It feels better than anything Hook ever felt and he brings their bodies even closer, putting his hooked arm around his waist and the other hand on Pan's neck. The kiss is everything at once: it's sweet, it's soft and it's also passionate. Peter runs his hand through Killian's dark hair, pulling gently and Hook needs to admit that Pan knows what he is doing and he is doing it well. The way their tongues touch and battle for dominance feels incredibly good. 

They finally break apart, both breathless and Hook can't believe what just happened. It was not supposed to be so good, he was not supposed to feel this way. When did everything even change? He looks at those beautiful green eyes again and he finds that he doesn't even care. 

'Hmm... what was that about?' the blonde asks in a low voice, raising his eyebrow. 

'I honestly don't know but it doesn't seem like you mind.' 

'You're right, I don't. I don't mind at all.' 

Peter says it in such a way that it makes Hook want to kiss him again... And again and again. So this is exactly what he does. 

***

It's pretty dark outside when they find themselves happy in Pan's bed. The blonde is lying half on the bed and half on Hook with his head and arm on the brunette's chest. Hook is eating some of the grapes and drinking rum. Peter Pan used his magic to get back his missing hand to him and he still can't get used to the feeling of having two hands again. The older one looks at the boy next to him, whose eyes are closed but he knows that he's not sleeping. 

'Can I ask you something?' Hook asks breaking the silence.

'Of course.' Peter answers opening his eyes. 

'What did you think about when you were casting the spell on the fire?' 

'It was one of the happiest memories I had. But now I have better ones.' Peter smiles at him lovingly. It's the sweetest smile the pirate has seen and it warms his heart.

'But what was it?' he asks.

'I thought of the first time I saw you.' 

Hook goes back in his mind to that day when he first came to Neverland and the first time he saw Peter Pan. Back then he wasn't a pirate yet and he only just found out about magic. He can't believe how much has changed since then but looking back, he doesn't regret anything. Especially the most recent events. Hook always thought that he will never love anyone again after he lost Milah but all of this feels so right. He smiles at the boy.

'We should get some sleep.' Hook suggests, seeing that Peter is tired. 

'Goodnight, Killian.' Pan says and snuggles up into more comfortable position on Hook's chest. 

Hook closes his eyes enjoying the warmth of Pan's body. He can't sleep though. He knows that this is the best moment to do it but how is he even supposed to take his heart now? This whole thing was meant to be about getting Pan's trust, not falling in love with him... He can't deny it - he has fallen for him. He found that Peter is making him happy through everything he does. Hook didn't think he would ever find someone that would make him feel this way but now he has. He listens to the steady rhythm of Peter's breaths and he feels scared. If only there was a way to save both Peter and Henry but he knows that there isn't. He needs to do it.

He slowly untangles himself from Pan's body and sits at the edge of the bed. He knows that he needs to take the heart but he finds himself unable to even move. He thinks of the amazing life he could have at Pan's side and finally be happy again but then he imagines telling Emma that he chose his own happiness over saving her son and he knows that he can't be so selfish. Heroes need to make sacrifices. This will be the biggest one of his life: killing the person he loves in order to save another. 

Hook finally gets up and faces the sleeping boy. There are tears in his eyes. 

'I'm so sorry.' he whispers and his voice is breaking. 

He leans down and places one last kiss on Peter's lips and puts his hand on his chest to locate the heart. Taking one last look at his beautiful face he pushes his hand inside his chest and grabs the heart with shaking hand and pulls it out. Peter's eyes flash open for a second but then they are immediately closed again as if nothing happened. 

Hook balances the glowing heart on his hand and feels empty inside. He wants to scream and cry but he keeps silent, placing the heart carefully in a box. He looks at Peter's pale face and he knows what he has done. He took Peter's life away forever. He places his hand on his chest once more and apologizes again. But suddenly, he feels something. He can't quite believe it at first but there is a beating heart under his hand - he can feel it. How is this possible? He can definitely feel it, which means that he's not dead. Hook feels relief. There is still hope for Peter.

'I will save you.' Hook promises him. 

With one last glance, he leaves the house and runs back to the camp, hoping that he is not too late to save Henry.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can a pirate ever be a hero?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally finished! This is the last chapter and it's super long ;D
> 
> It has been really amazing writing this fanfic and I think it won't be my last one ;P
> 
> I hope you like this! Thank you for all the amazing comments and kudos! 
> 
> Love and take care! xxx

The night is dark as Hook rushes through the woods to get to the camp. However, he is forced to slow down as he finds himself confused about which way to go. His mind is telling him that he's lost but he refuses to believe it and desperately looks around, trying to remember the way. 

But he is tired, it's dark and all the trees look the same. He leans against one of them, breathing slowly. He is lost and this is the reality, no matter how much he wishes that it wouldn't be true. Hook closes his eyes, resting his head against the rough tree bark. 

'Great. Now I'm lost in those damned woods.' He whispers into the dark night, losing hope. 

Just then he feels a strange sensation, like warmth quickly changing into burning, around his neck and chest. It becomes almost painful and Hook presses his hand to his chest, trying to find the source of the burning. His hand reaches the necklace that Tinker Bell gave him and he notices that the little key charm glows with a dim light. Hook is confused but he takes it off quickly as the pain becomes unbearable. As soon as it's off and in the pirate's hand, it floats up in the air and the light becomes brighter. It flies forward and then slightly to the left, not stopping. It must be enchanted, Hook realizes. Tinker Bell gave it to him to help him, so he trusts in her and follows the glowing necklace, hoping it will lead him to the camp or at least help him somehow to find them.

Some time later, still following the object, he notices the smoke of a nearby fire and he recognizes, where he is. The smoke is where the camp is and Hook speeds up again. Finally, a moment later, he finds himself at the edge of the clearing and the necklace stops glowing and drops to the ground, looking very ordinary again. Hook picks it up and places it back around his neck. He needs to thank Tinker Bell for it later because without it he would still be lost.

He looks around the camp noticing that everyone is asleep. He comes closer and looks down at Emma and Neal snuggled up together very close. He smiles briefly at the sight and looks to where Regina is sleeping and walks over to wake her. She is most likely to know what to do now.

'Regina.' Hook shakes her shoulder. 'Wake up.' 

She starts moving around in her sleep and then she opens her eyes immediately, scared that they may all be in danger. She instinctively grips the front of his jacket but then she notices who it is and she lets go of him.

'Hook!' she exclaims loudly, surprised but also relieved.

The others wake up hearing her voice. Once they see Hook, they all rush towards him. 

'Hook, you're back. Do you have the heart?' Emma asks, worried. 

'Aye. Is Henry still alive?' Hook asks them.

'Yes but we need to hurry. C'mon.' Regina says and she gets up. 

Emma and Regina rush inside the tent and Hook follows them inside. Tinker Bell and Neal also come in after Hook. Henry is there, looking very pale and it seems that Hook arrived just in time. The pirate opens the box and carefully takes out the red heart and hands it over to the Evil Queen, breathing a sigh of relief. She takes it from him with tears in her eyes and leans down to place the heart back in Henry's chest. Nothing happens at first and Neal puts his arm around Emma's waist to comfort her. All eyes are focused on the boy and the atmosphere in the tent is heavy as everyone awaits. After a few seconds Henry finally moves his head to one side and opens his eyes, blinking rapidly. 

Emma breathes a deep sigh of relief and smiles down at her son. The other reactions are all similar, everyone is smiling and crying tears of joy at seeing the boy alive again. 

'What happened?' Henry asks, confused.

'Pan almost killed you but Hook saved you. It's all okay now.' Neal kneels down next to his son and squeezes his hand in support. 

'I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you. I really thought that I was saving magic.' Henry says realizing what happened.

'Don't worry, sweetheart. It was not your fault. He tricked you.' Regina smiles at him. 

'I'm glad that you're okay, kid.' Hook says and leaves the tent to give the boy some time with his relatives. Tinker Bell leaves with him, however Emma follows them outside and suddenly gives Hook a strong hug. 

'Thank you so much for doing this, Hook. I will be forever grateful for what you did.' Emma says when she lets go of him. 

'I promised to save your son and I always keep my promises.' Hook answers trying not to think about how close he was to not keeping this particular one. 

'Now that Pan is gone, Regina will be able to create a portal to take us back to Storybrook.' 

Hook expected her to say this but he finds it difficult to tell her that he won't be coming with them. He knows that this was the plan: to get back the heart, save Henry and go back to Storybrook to start a new chapter in all their lives. Neal and Emma are planning to get married and Regina wants to find her own happiness. Tinker Bell also wants to start over and possibly have a family one day. Originally Hook agreed to go with them but now he can't leave without Peter Pan. It was as unexpected as snow in the middle of a summer but he found his happiness with Pan. He can't go with them, he needs to save him.

'I won't be going to Storybrook with you. I decided that I need to stay.' he says finally, looking at the ground. 

Emma looks at him confused. 

'But why did you suddenly change your mind?' 

Hook doesn't answer her for a long time. He can't tell her the truth. She won't probably even believe him. Why should she, it's still quite surreal even to him. At this moment all the others come out of the tent and Regina says:

'So, are we all ready to leave this place now?' 

Emma looks back at Hook again. She says quietly:

'Please, come with us. There is nothing here for you. Magic will soon be gone with Peter dead and-'

'Peter Pan is not dead.' Hook interrupts her with a strong voice looking into her blue eyes. 

It seems that he said it a bit too loud as everyone now looks at him with shock and confusion on their faces. 

'What? How is it that he's not dead?' Regina comes closer to look Hook in the eyes. 

Hook then realizes that he has no other choice but to tell them the truth. He looks at their faces and takes a deep breath. 

'When I took the heart, I thought that he will die but then I felt a beating heart and realised that he is still alive.' the pirate explains. 

'Even if he is still alive now, he won't be for long. He is no longer a threat. Now, can we go?' Regina asks, angered.

'I'm not coming with you. A lot has changed for me during the past days. I have to stay.' 

'I don't understand. What has changed?' Emma asks.

'Please go without me. I need to stay. I need to save him while there is still a chance.' Hook confesses. 

'He nearly killed us all. Why would you want to save him?' Regina questions.

Hook doesn't say anything. He wants run away from all their questions. He knows he could leave with them now but he will never forgive himself. It's true that he doesn't have even an idea how to save Peter but he has to try. Tinker Bell suddenly speaks.

'You love him, don't you?' 

The question is spoken softly, almost like a statement rather than a question. Everyone looks at the fairy but she still has a very calm expression. It is strange that she is always the least shocked and confused person in the group. Like she sees more than the rest. It must be a fairy thing.

'Yes.' Hook says looking at the ground, afraid to meet their eyes. 

There is silence and nobody knows what to say. It's not really awkward but it's just unexpected and nobody knows how to respond. 

'As I said before, love is love and I really don't mind. I understand now why you can't leave with us.' Emma says to him. 

Hook looks up at her and nods. 

'How are you going to save him though?' Neal asks. 

'I wanted to use the water from the magic lake.' Hook explains looking at Regina in hopes that she knows whether it will work or not. She looks back at him and nods her head. She says:

'It should work. He could still be saved with the water if he gets it in time, of course. But he will never have magic again and he will not be able to leave Neverland.' 

'I just want him back. I can't wait no more otherwise he will die. I have to go and get the water.' Hook says and starts walking away in the direction of the mountain, where the stream is. 

'Wait!' Emma calls. He turns around to look at her. 'You saved our Henry and I will help you to save Peter Pan. You deserve your happy ending, Hook.' 

Everyone agrees with Emma and they also say that they will help him. Hook smiles sadly at them, grateful for having such friends. 

'Thank you.' he says honestly. 

'Okay. Regina and Neal - you will go with Hook to get the water. Me, Henry and Tinker Bell will go to look after Pan until you get back.' Emma says. She gives Neal a kiss and she tells him that they will see each other soon. 

Then they separate to go different ways, Tinker Bell leading them to the house where Pan is and Hook leading the others towards the lake. The pirate really hopes that they will make it in time otherwise there is no point for him to even live. He can't lose his love. He remembers their first kiss in his head and it gives him the strength to carry on. 

***

It's almost morning when Neal, Regina and Hook reach the front of the little house. Hook holds a bottle with the magic water in his hand and they all look really tired. Regina walks up to the door and opens it, walking inside. 

She notices Henry, Emma and Tinker Bell all siting around the bed, where Pan lies. There are two candles lightning up the room and everyone looks at Regina and then the other two boys who come in after her. Emma gets up from her sit and gives Neal a warm hug and then she looks at Hook worried and asks:

'Do you have the water?' 

Hook holds up the bottle to show her and asks:

'How is he?'

'Still alive but just barely.' Emma answers.

Hook walks up to the bed and looks at the pale face with concern. Peter looks so fragile, so unlike himself. The pirate quickly opens the bottle with shaking hands and puts it to Pan's lips. He makes sure that he drinks some and then he looks at the blonde, waiting for him to wake up. 

'C'mon, wake up, love.' he whispers and touches the boy's cheek gently with his fingertips. 

Almost as if under the brunette's touch, the boy starts to move. Slowly, like waking up from a dream he opens his green eyes to look directly into Hook's blue ones. For a minute they just look at each other and Hook smiles, realizing that he did it. He saved Peter's life and he never felt so happy in his life like he does right now. 

'Killian? What is going on?' Peter asks confused when he notices all the other people in the room.

'Everything is okay, my love.' 

'But you said that they left for Storybrook to bury Henry's body...What...How?' Peter tries to make sense of what is going on, siting up on the bed facing Hook.

Emma sees what is about to happen and she says to the others:

'Let's go. Let's give them some time to talk.' 

Everyone understands and leaves the room. Hook is grateful for that because he knows that it won't be easy to explain all of this madness to Pan.

'What is the meaning of this? You lied to me?' Pan demands to know.

Hook takes a sit next to him on the bed and looks at him with a serious expression.

'Listen, Peter. It's not exactly the way you think. In fact, it's not like you think at all but I can explain.' 

'Really? Because it seems like you lied to me about every single thing and there is nothing to explain.' 

'No. I mean, yes. I lied but I had to. When we saw that Henry is still alive, we knew that we have to save him. The only way was to get the heart from you, back to him.' Hook drops his gaze, unable to look in his eyes.

He goes on to explain everything to Peter. Everything about saving Henry and how they found out from Felix that Hook was his biggest weakness and how Hook was their only chance to save the boy. The whole plan to make Peter trust Hook and when the time was right to take the heart back to Henry. It comes really hard for Hook and his voice is very quiet but he knows that Peter needs to know the truth.

'So this whole thing was a trick? A carefully crafted plan to defeat me?' Pan asks and Hook almost breaks seeing the hurt expression on Pan's face. 

'Yes, it was. At first.' 

'Well, it seems like you succeeded then. I can only congratulate you.' Pan says with bitterness in his voice. Then he adds. 'I just can't believe that I actually believed you had feelings for me.' 

'As I said it was the plan at first, but then I really fallen in love with you, Peter. I didn't expect to and I couldn't believe it to begin with but I have fallen for you so hard that I almost didn't take the heart from you. But I knew that I have to save Henry and then I noticed that you were still alive and I was so relieved... You have no idea what I felt at that moment...' 

'You really expect me to believe this?' 

'Why do you think I came back to save you, then?' 

There is a long pause and Hook takes Peter's hand in his both hands and looks him deep in the eyes. He can see that Peter is finally starting to believe him and he missed him so bad that he just can't take the arguing anymore. Hook leans down and kisses him. The kiss is saying more than thousand words. It says: "I missed you. I want to be with you. I will never lie to you again. Forgive me. I love you." After a moment, Hook feels Peter kissing him back and his heart beats so fast just like it did the first time they kissed. If this is what a happy ending feels like, the pirate finally understands why it's so important to fight for it. It's worth all the pain and struggle. 

Finally they break apart from each other. Peter finally smiles and Hook realizes just how much he missed this smile.

'I'm so sorry for lying to you.' Hook says.

'No, I should be sorry. I almost killed all of you. I was so lost and lonely, I thought I could never have you return my feelings, so I settled for the only other thing I could have - magic.' 

'It's not your fault. Magic changes people. That's why it's better without it.' 

'Thank you, Killian.' Peter says honestly. 'Thank you for saving me from the horrible person I've become.' 

'I'll always be there to save you, my love.' the older man smiles at him, happy to have him back and happy that it's all finally over. 

Hook leans his back against the wall and brings the blonde close to his chest, feeling his steady heart beat. Peter Pan's real heart. The one that made him fall in love with a pirate - Killian Jones, also known as Hook. The true hero that saved not one, but two people that night. 

They wrap their arms around each other in a comforting embrace, closing their eyes and breathing slowly. There is nothing that can stand in the way of their happiness now and if there ever comes a time they will have to fight for their love again, both of them know that it's worth it. Because when you have your true love by your side, nothing else matters.

In this tight embrace, asleep, is how the others find them some time later. 

Who would have thought that those two would find everything they need in each other?

Well, Tinker Bell knew but you probably guessed that already. 

The End.


End file.
